‘Addicted to Love’ is a song by English rock singer Robert Palmer released in 1986. It is the third song on Palmer's eighth studio album Riptide (1985) and was released as its second single. The single version is a shorter edit of the full-length album version.
The song entered the US Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending 8 February 1986. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, and it received a gold certification for shipping half a million copies in the United States. It also reached number one in Australia and number five on the UK Singles Chart. ‘Addicted to Love’ became Palmer's signature song, thanks in part to a popular video featuring high fashion models.
It all started with a guitar riff that came to Palmer in a dream. He told Q magazine in 1988, "That noisy riff woke me up. I went downstairs, got out the tape recorder, then went back to bed. Next morning, I thought, Phew, caught one there!" Andy Taylor of Duran Duran (and a bandmate of Palmer's from the Power Station) plays lead guitar. The song is also notable for its opening drum solo by Tony Thompson, another Power Station alumnus.
The music video (which uses the shorter single version of this song), was one of the most noted of the era. The video features Palmer performing the song with an abstract "band", a group of female models whose pale skin, heavy makeup, dark hair, and seductive, rather mannequin-like expression follow the style of women in Patrick Nagel paintings. The five models in the video are Julie Pankhurst (keyboard), Patty Kelly (guitar), Mak Gilchrist (bass guitar), Julia Bolino (guitar), and Kathy Davies (drums). The music video ranked at number 3 on VH1's Top 20 Videos of the 1980s and was the last video shown on long running UK music programme The Chart Show.
Palmer performed ‘Addicted to Love’ to open the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, where it won for Best Male Video. Palmer then earned his first Grammy Award when he won Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for this song at the 1987 ceremony. He won the same award two years later for ‘Simply Irresistible.’
Label – IslandSongwriter – Robert Palmer
Producer – Bernard Edwards
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]The lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another kiss is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another kiss is all you need
[Chorus]
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love
[Verse 2]
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another kiss and you'll be mine
A one-track mind, you can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
[Chorus]
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love
[Post-Chorus]
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
[Verse 3]
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
Your heart sweats your teeth grind
Another kiss and you'll be mine
[Chorus]
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're going to have to face it, you're addicted to love
[Outro]
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love